Newman savors Brickyard win

Indiana native Ryan Newman enjoyed a very popular Brickyard 400 win on Sunday. The taste of champagne could not have come at a better time for one of NASCAR's most likeable stars.

ben white

Indiana native Ryan Newman enjoyed a very popular Brickyard 400 win on Sunday. The taste of champagne could not have come at a better time for one of NASCAR's most likeable stars. While in victory lane, he said he had difficulty taking in all that a win at the storied 2.5-mile speedway offered. He had just collected a major NASCAR victory at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his native state in front of millions of television viewers and many thousands of fans in the grandstands. It's the Cinderella story of the 2013 Sprint Cup season. "I don't realize it yet, it's a dream come true," Newman said. "I think that if it hits you all at once it's not good enough. It will take a week or so for this to set in. Just thank everybody for this opportunity, everybody in my racing career. This is just like when I won the Daytona 500 (2008). (The win is about) everybody that helped me get to that day and it's the same thing again. Thank you."Newman's victory story is a heartwarming tale involving a very personable driver faced with many questions about his Sprint Cup future. Rest assured he'll be OK. The win at Indy made certain of that.He wanted nothing more than to enjoy the moment and not think about where he'll be in 2014. He thought of his long journey to stardom. As is often the case, most racers tell stories of having to endure many sacrifices before making it big. "To me, it's awesome to be here at Indy," Newman said. "It's awesome because it's my home state. I grew up racing around here at Winchester, Salem, IRP, little tracks like Anderson. That makes it special. "Most people don't know but I lived in Jeff Gordon's old shop before I ever made it in NASCAR. I slept with the race cars. That was my summer job, working on race cars, sleeping in the shop with them…." Newman is quick to point out he's not one to show very much emotion. A few tears were shed when he knocked Jimmie Johnson from the pole position on Saturday. Sunday's win left him extremely grateful. "…I don't show much emotion. I think everybody knows me as that," Newman said. "I had the same emotion, the same thankfulness I had when I won the Daytona 500. I feel everybody that has been a part of my racing career, from people that bought my racing uniform, bought me a right rear tire, given us a credit card to get to some racetrack at some point in my career, those are the people that helped me get to where I am today."…Those are the things that make it special. I think about those things more than I carry the emotion on my cheeks."Newman's win at Indy and 17th of his career was a highlight to a long and emotional 2013 season. Recently, his team owner, Tony Stewart, announced the South Bend native will not be back in a Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet in 2014. Newman has talked with several Sprint Cup teams but is yet to name where he will race next season. Newman suffered through a dismal race at New Hampshire July 13 where he finished 39th. Newman was happy to get the July 20 break in the schedule to regroup and mentally prepare for Indy. "…The emotions have been an absolute rollercoaster," Newman said. "Loudon (New Hampshire) was a disaster. We got crashed out, everything that was said. We got through all that stuff. (We) talked about it." For a driver in limbo concerning his future employer, it's a perfect time to win one of NASCAR's biggest events, especially since he's unofficially auditioning for a new job. "(Crew chief) Matt (Borland) did an amazing job to come here with a fast race car and gave me what I needed," Newman said. "We all did it together. Not the guys just here, but the guys at the shop, the pit crew. You all know it's a huge team sport. It makes it better looking for something for 2014, also for Matt. There are a lot of questions to be answered. We'll get through all that. But today we're celebrating a victory."Newman will enjoy memories of Indy a few more days before moving on to Pocono Raceway this coming weekend. The win there may very well jump start his championship hopes. He is currently 16th in points with one win, three top-fives and nine top-10s. Wins do have a way of producing more wins, especially when they come in NASCAR's biggest and most prestigious events. "The biggest thing is confidence. Confidence for me, confidence in the team, confidence with me in the team," Newman said with smile. "We still have a championship to go after. We still have the Chase to chase and there is still plenty of racing left. This is a great day for us in points. That doesn't mean anything. Tomorrow is a new day. Come Pocono this will be the past."Ben White is a motorsports columnist for The Dispatch.

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